1. Field of the Inventions
The present inventions relate to an automatic gearshift control device for automatically shifting gears and to a vehicle provided with the automatic gearshift control device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, vehicles with electronically actuated manual transmissions have become commercially available. These transmissions are largely the same as any conventional manual transmission, except electronic actuators have been added to allow the otherwise manual transmission to be operated electronically.
The actuators are used to automate certain operations so that the system can automate a series of start, stop and shift change operations (clutch disengagement, gear change, and clutch engagement) based on the rider's intention or the state of the vehicle.
One known such vehicle design includes an automatic gearshift control device (for controlling a manual type transmission) which controls operation of the friction clutch of the transmission and controls gearshifts of a transmission by means of an electrically driven actuator. For example, Japanese Patent Document JP-A-2001-146930 discloses an automatic gearshift control device in which the half-clutch (e.g., while the clutch is “slipping”) control of the clutch is accomplished with an actuator and is based on a difference in clutch rotational number. This clutch rotational number represents a difference in number of rotation between a driving side and a driven side of a friction clutch, such that the speed for connecting the friction clutch is changed based on this difference.